12 Haunted Wedding Venues That Will Give You Chills

These historic wedding venues around the world have bloody pasts. Would you be able to say “I do, until death do us part” at these haunted locations?

The Rose Hall Great House: Jamaica

Courtesy Rose Hall

A tropical wedding might seem like paradise, but it depends on where you go. At Rose Hall in Jamaica, the spirit of a widow, referred to as the White Witch, stalks the grounds. The Rose Hall Great House was built in 1770, and it eventually became the residence of John Rose Palmer. In 1820, Palmer married a woman named Annee who, according to legend, possessed black magic powers and murdered him, two successive husbands, and several lovers. Supposedly, she still roams the halls.

The Stanley Hotel: Estes Park, Colorado

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As the inspiration for Stephen King’s novel The Shining, The Stanley Hotel in Colorado already had a chilling reputation. The hotel is over 100 years old and is not only supposed to be haunted by the original owner and his wife, but by a former chambermaid, Elizabeth Wilson, who died in room 217. As the story goes, the room had a gas leak when Wilson happened to walk in while holding a candle. But how does this hotel match up against the most haunted places you can rent on Airbnb?

Tutbury Castle: East Staffordshire, United Kingdom

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This castle played a major role in British history: It was at Tutbury Castle that the Scottish royal and English political prisoner, Mary Queen of Scots, was detained by Queen Elizabeth I. The castle has been around for nearly 1,000 years, and Mary was held captive here on four separate occasions. Some believe this important historical figure still broods inside these walls.

The Historic Anchorage Hotel: Anchorage, Alaska

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The remote cold of Alaska is enough to put some people on edge, but The Historic Anchorage Hotel is there to truly disturb you. Certain types of hauntings are like constant replays of the worst moment in a location’s past. In this hotel and wedding venue, it is the death of the city’s first chief of police named Jack Sturgus. In 1921, the police chief was found shot in the back with a bullet from his own gun, steps away from the hotel. It is rumored that his ghost returns to haunt the scene of the crime each year, seeking justice for a crime still unsolved to this day. Here are more of the most haunted hotels in America.

The Chateau Marmont: Los Angeles, California

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This notorious LA landmark is the place where actor John Belushi overdosed and died in the early 80s. His spirit is said to haunt Bungalow 3 of The Chateau Marmont. What’s more, he has reportedly communicated with at least one of his guests. In 1999, a family stayed at the hotel with their toddler. The toddler would giggle to himself as if laughing at a joke, despite the fact that he was all alone. When reading about the famous people who had stayed at the Marmont, the mother saw her child point to a picture of Belushi in the book, calling him “The Funny Man.”

The Bissman Building: Mansfield, Ohio

Courtesy Destination Mansfield, Richland County

This infamous building was actually a set for the critically acclaimed movie, The Shawshank Redemption. If you know the paranormal history behind it, it makes sense why this location was chosen. An anonymous Bissman Building representative experienced a haunting first-hand. “Our lead investigator took a team up to the third floor,” he says, next to the elevator where an employee had literally lost his head back in 1911. “As he began to describe the incident to the anxious team of ghost hunters, he suddenly dropped to the floor and lost consciousness, as if he had had his soul yanked swiftly and painfully, taking him to another place, where he later said he never wanted to go again.” Here are more spooky urban legends from across the 50 states.

The Main Barn of Malabar: Lucas, Ohio

Courtesy Destination Mansfield, Richland County

Numerous weddings have been held on the grounds of Malabar Farm State Park. According to assistant park manager Siera D. Marth, the most popular venues on site for weddings are the haunted ones. “The activity that took place in the Main Barn happened during the preparation and performances of the play, Ceely, which recounts the details of the murder of the Rose family by arsenic poisoning at the hands of their daughter and sister, Ceelia.” The writer and director of the play, Mark Sebastian Jordan, reported lights and other technology malfunctioning, footsteps where there was no one, and other unexplained phenomena.

The Big House of Malabar: Lucas, Ohio

Courtesy Destination Mansfield, Richland County

The other wedding venue that garners the most visitors is the Big House of Malabar. And it’s not that there’s paranormal activity; there is, but the ghosts are dogs. “Although the Big House hears story after story of sightings,” Marth says, “the most common theme for the foyer area is that of ghost dogs. Louis Bromfield is known to have kept boxer dogs and pets, and the stories of the chaos the dogs sometimes caused are plenty. So it is not surprising to hear visitors comment that they feel as if a dog has rushed past them or nudged their hand with their nose.” If you’re going to have one ghostly experience in your life, that’s not a bad one! Check out these 21 true stories of people who have received messages from the dead.

1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa: Eureka Springs, Arkansas

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The 1886 Crescent Hotel & Spa carries the title of “America’s Most Haunted Hotel.” You can book a brief stay, a wedding, or just a ghost tour. Previous guests—human and feline—are said to keep you company during your stay, appearing in your room or at the edge of your bed. Hotel workers who have died on the premises might visit you as well.

The Roosevelt Hotel: Hollywood, California

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LA’s Roosevelt Hotel has been the temporary home of many stars. Some say that quite a few of those stars (who are now deceased) still haven’t checked out of the hotel. People report spotting the ghost of Marilyn Monroe, along with being able to hear the faint clicking of a phantom typewriter and the soloing of a mysterious trumpet.

Traquair House: Peeblesshire, Scotland

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You might expect the oldest continuously inhabited house in Scotland to have a few ghosts—though there seems to be only one, says Catherine Maxwell Stuart, the 21st Lady of Traquair who lives in the house now with her husband and children (and makes the grounds available for weddings). According to Brendan Vacations tour guide Patricia Smith, the ghost, a woman in an outdated gown, appeared to a worker in the fields of Traquair house, passed through a closed gate, and disappeared into the woods. After the worker viewed portraits of the family, he identified Lady Louisa Stewart who passed away in 1896, just a few years short of turning 100.

I have a B.A. in Writing, Literature & Publishing from Emerson College. I write for several lifestyle and entertainment publications, such as Alternative Press, Revolver, Your Tango, and The List. I'm a sucker for dogs and a hardcore kid for life. Let's start talking.